Two Lawmakers Suggest Bringing Muslim Guests to State of the Union

Two Democratic lawmakers are urging their colleagues to bring a Muslim American constituent as their guest to the January 12th State of the Union.

Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn - the first Muslim American elected to Congress — and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla. — also the chair of the Democratic National Committee — emailed both Republican and Democratic House members Tuesday suggesting they reach out to Muslims in their home districts following the "shocking and alarming rise in hateful rhetoric against one particular minority population in our nation."

The letter never explicitly mentions Donald Trump by name but reads "Leading political figures have made offensive and outrageous suggestions that we should create a national registry of all people of one particular faith and that we should prevent any person of that faith from even entering this great country."

Ellison and Wasserman Schultz are showing their solidarity with Muslim Americans after Trump's proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States by each bringing a Muslim American constituent to hear President Barack Obama's final State of the Union as president.

The letter ends: "we are asking our colleagues that have not already determined a State of the Union guest to consider joining us in bringing a Muslim-American constituent as their guest to the President's State of the Union Address on January 12, 2016. We must show our compatriots and the world that we will not be intimidated by fear into discrimination."